Pubdate: Tue, 06 Dec 2005
Source: Sofia Echo, The (Bulgaria)
Copyright: 2005, Sofia Echo Media Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.sofiaecho.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3402

EUROPE CRITICISES BULGARIA ON DRUG LAWS

The European Commission demanded that Bulgaria's Parliament determine 
quickly what the amount of drugs constituting personal possession 
should be and accept measures for the decriminalisation of its 
possession. On Thursday, Parliament will consider changes to the 
penal code, which envisage imprisonment of between 10 and 15 years 
for anyone caught with a narcotic substance, regardless of its 
quantity. The EC sharply criticised Bulgaria for the lack of 
differentiation between people dependent on narcotic substances and 
drug dealers. Whatever the punishment for drug possession was, it 
should not be imprisonment, the EC suggested. In Austria, people in 
possession of only a small amount of a forbidden substance for 
personal use are usually accepted for treatment in medical centres, 
Novinar newspaper reported.

In March last year the National Assembly criminalised the possession 
of a single dose. In this way, national authorities placed addicts 
among criminals, alongside drug dealers. Last week four 
non-government organisations presented a report stating that the 
measure was ineffective. Nearly 2500 people have been detained for 
drug possession in the past year. Experts, however, said that the 
court cannot determine which of these are addicts and which are dealers.
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